


Kanto Starter Dilemma

by Spitfire52 (jasaguilar)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gary's in charge of the lab for the day, Kanto Starters, Masara Town | Pallet Town, Missing Pokémon, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-11-03 21:16:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20695682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasaguilar/pseuds/Spitfire52
Summary: Ash returns for a visit to Pallet town. Also returning is Ash's old rival turned Pokémon Researcher, Gary Oak. Fulfilling a favor for his grandfather, Professor Oak, Gary takes on the responsibility of taking care of the Oak Lab. It's just for a day. What could go wrong?





	1. Return to Pallet Town

Chapter 1: Return to Pallet Town

It was only just a few hours until he arrived at his hometown of Pallet town and Ash Ketchum was super excited. He excitedly looked out the plane window at the scenery below. The plane would land in Viridian city. From there he would walk onward until he reached Pallet town. He could not wait to tell his mom all that had happened to him since he last seen her in person. The Kalos region was amazing and he had learned so much. He had met some new friends and challenging rivals who both helped him grow strong as a trainer. It was sad to say good-bye to his friends. They have been through so much together. At the same time, it felt great to travel back home for a bit and take a vacation from traveling. He loved his hometown of Pallet town. It was a small quiet town but there was still plenty to do.

Just a few days before leaving, Ash had sent an email to two of his long time friends – Brock and Misty. He understood that they both were probably extremely busy with their respected gyms. Yet, it would be amazing if they could find time and meet up at least for a little bit. Ash beamed. He could hardly wait. Couldn't this plane go any faster?

One other person that he couldn't wait to see in person was Professor Oak – the one who gave him his pal, Pikachu oh so long ago. He didn't bother sending Professor Oak an email. Ash just wanted to surprise him. He could only hope Professor Oak wasn't too busy at the lab.

Ash looked over at Pikachu who was resting on the seat beside him. "We should be getting close now, buddy."

Pikachu! Pikachu said understandably.

"Attention all! The next stop will be Viridian city in approximately fifteen minutes. Thank you!" a voice on the intercom spoke.

Ash excitedly glanced out his seat window again. "Alright! Pallet town, here we come!" Pikachu hopped on his trainer's shoulder and took a glance outside.

"I can't wait to visit home and see my friends and Professor Oak. It's going to be a great week back. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika – Pika – pi!"

Ash sat back, closed his eyes, and imagined all that he would do as soon as he got back home. He had not seen his old friends, Brock and Misty in like forever. As soon as the plane landed in Viridian city, he would stop by the town's Pokémon center to check his email.

"May I have your attention, please?" the voice on the intercom announced once more. "We are in progress to landing in Viridian city. Please have your belongings ready, and thank you for flying with Pokémon United Air!"

Ash stepped off the plane along with a significant amount of others. The airport was bustling with life. Each person had his or her own journey ahead of him or her. Some might be fellow trainers, some might be Pokémon Researchers, or maybe some could be gym leaders.

With his backpack securely strapped to his back, and Pikachu perched on his shoulder, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a map of Viridian city. Sure, Ash probably didn't need a map. He had been to Viridian city before. Granted it's been quite a while. He searched the map for the town's Pokémon center to confirm. It was just as he remembered. He tucked the map back into his pocket and raced to the Viridian city Pokémon center.

The Pokémon center there was not really all that busy right at that time. It was only 11 am, which reminded Ash of how hungry he was. Ash promptly walked up to a young lady with pink hair tied up in circular pigtails. Beside her, there stood a Chansey.

"Hi, Nurse Joy!" Ash beamed excitedly. "I don't know if you remember me or not, but I'm traveling back home from the Kalos region. I'm Ash Ketchum and this is my partner, Pikachu. We're both very excited to be back home for a week!"

The Viridian city Nurse Joy smiled at Pikachu and scratched under his chin. "Aww! How could I forget an adorable face like Pikachu's?" She looked over at Ash. "I do remember you. It's great to see you again. We're glad you stopped by the Viridian city Pokémon center. Is there anything I can do for you, Ash?"

"Not really," Ash replied looking at the row of phones and computers." I just need to use the computer to check my email, and the phone to call my mom."

"Very well," Nurse Joy smiled. "Let me know if I can be of any assistance."

First things first! Ash thought. He raced over to the phone and dialed a number he was very familiar with.

A lady that appeared to be in her thirties with brown hair tied in a loose ponytail appeared on screen.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Ash! How was your trip? Did you have a safe trip? When can I expect you home?" His mother asked excitedly.

"Yeah, Mom! It was great! Everything's okay for me and Pikachu right now." Ash had so much to tell his mom but he figured it would be best to wait until he saw his mom in person to tell her all about his adventures. "You can expect me and Pikachu home very soon! I'll tell you all about everything! I need to check my email now to see what's going on with Brock and Misty."

His mom smiled yet looked concerned. "Very well, Ash. I hope you have an empty stomach. I made some food just for this occasion. Brock and Misty are more than welcome to join if they are able."

Ash's eyes grew wide at the thought of food. Of course, he was hungry! And if he wasn't before, he was now. "Thanks a lot, Mom! See you soon!"

Next was checking his email. He signed into his account and waited in anticipation as the screen loaded. Please let them say yes! Ash prayed. Even if just one of them can hang out that would be okay. It would be even better if both of them could though. I know Misty is probably tied up defending the Cerulean city gym and Brock defending the Pewter city gym…

Ash composed himself and saw that he had two unread messages. Lo and behold, one was from Misty and the other was from Brock.

Hey, Ash,

The Cerulean city gym is a bit crazy right now. I've had some very talented trainers battle me for the Cascade badge. Thanks so much for keeping in touch. I asked my sisters if one of them could take over the gym for a day and Lily said she could do it! It would be great if all three of us could meet up somewhere. I will just meet you at your place. This is exciting! See you soon!

~ Misty

Yes! It was great that Misty was able to make it. What about Brock?

Ash clicked on the second unread email.

Ash,

It's great to hear from you! How has your journey been? I would be delighted to meet up with you and Misty. It's been a while! Actually, Misty just emailed me this morning and suggested just meeting you there at your house. We can decide what we want to do from there.

~ Brock

Ash hastily logged off the computer and hurried out of the Pokémon center. "Bye, Nurse Joy! Thanks, again!" Ash called over his shoulder. Both emails were good news for him. He was ecstatic that both of his two best friends could find time to visit.

"Pikachu! Are you ready to see Brock and Misty again? I know I am! And Mom of course! Then we can see if we can visit Professor Oak and see some of the Pokémon I have there at the lab!"

Pikachu nodded eagerly. "Pika - pi!" Pikachu sounded almost as thrilled as Ash. Ash stepped out of the Viridian City Pokémon center with Pikachu on his shoulder and headed straight toward Pallet town as fast as his legs could go.


	2. The Thrills of Catching Up

Pallet town was a small quiet town in the Kanto region. It was your typical town where you knew just about everyone. Even strangers made small talk to you passing by. People were friendly there in Pallet town for the most part. Ash stopped briefly to read a post on the path.

Now entering Pallet town

"Well, we made it Pikachu." Ash took a minute to rest. He hadn't really slowed down since leaving Viridian city. He was just minutes from home. He earned a rest.

Ash stood up, adjusted his backpack and continued. Ash was looking forward to seeing Brock and Misty again, but as he approached closer and closer to home, their visit became even more real to him. He hadn't seen either of them in quite a while. In a way, he was slightly nervous. He figured it was typical of meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen in a long time. You might be afraid that everyone has changed but you. Ash had learnt so much in Kalos and the previous regions prior. All three of them have changed and grown stronger. He had no reason to be nervous.

Ash smiled as he walked up the dirt path. He lived on this road. This particular road brought so many memories. He stopped for a moment in front of a house.

'This is Gary's house. Hmm… I wonder how he's been doing as a Pokémon Researcher." Gary Oak was his next-door neighbor. He thought about his old rival who had been his friend since way back. Ash and Gary hadn't exactly been the best of friends during their rivalry but they both had respect for each other now. Ash made a mental note to ask Professor Oak how his grandson was doing.

Ash moved on to the next house. This time, he didn't pause to stop. He continued right up the driveway. He was finally home. He didn't get a chance to get to the door, when suddenly the front door swung up and out came none other than Brock and Misty with his mom right behind them. Also behind her was a clown like Pokémon. "Mr. Mime!" Mr. Mime waved at Ash excitingly with a big smile on his face.

"Hey, Ash!" Brock exclaimed.

"It's been a while, Ash," Misty smiled. His two best friends gathered around him.

His mother gave her son a hug. "Welcome home, Ash! We all missed you very much! Brock and Misty were here since just a little over an hour ago. Ever since they came, they couldn't stop talking about you."

Brock and Misty both laughed. It was true.

"We were telling stories of our adventures in the Kanto region," Misty said.

"And don't forget about Johto," added Brock.

Ash took a deep breath. "I can't wait to tell you guys about my adventures in Kalos. Right now, I'm kind of hungry."

All of them laughed at Ash's comment. "Some things never change," Brock said.

Ash's mom headed toward the front door. "Well come inside, everyone."

On the kitchen table were numerous plates and bowls full of delicious smelling food. It was enough to fill up a small family. Ash felt very grateful and surprised simultaneously at the sight of all the food his mom had cooked.

"So, Ash," His mom spoke at the dinner table. "What's the Kalos region like? I've heard it's quite a lovely region."

"it is, Mom," Ash explained between bites. "The Pokémon in that region and their evolutions are amazing! There's even the possibility of Mega evolution. It's so cool! I really wish you guys could have been there." Ash turned his attention to Brock and Misty. They could see the fire in his eyes.

"Wow! The whole region sounds incredible," Misty replied imagining what Kalos must be like.

"Yeah, Ash," Brock agreed. "You kind of had me at Mega Evolution! You must have met some incredible trainers."

Ash reminisced about his old friends back in Kalos: Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. For a second, he felt a pang of sadness. Traveling through the Kalos region, he had formed a bond with his new friends. The bond only grew stronger over time. He was going to miss them. He did manage to get their emails to keep in touch, but still…

"I sure did," Ash replied. He picked up his pace and took bite after bite. He was so excited to be catching up with Brock and Misty, but now his mind was changing gears and he just remembered he also wanted to make a surprise visit to the Oak lab.

"Slow down, Ash!" Brock exclaimed. Ash stopped only with a mouth full of food.

"I guess some things never change. What's your hurry? Ready to start another adventure already?" Misty teased.

Ash swallowed his food and explained. "I wanted to go over to Professor Oak's lab and pay him a visit. Besides talking to him over video phone, I haven't seen him in a long time!"

"I'm sure Professor Oak would be thrilled to see you again and hear all about your latest journey," Ash's mom smiled.

Ash stood up and put his empty plate in the sink. He was so excited he didn't want to help clean up. His polite nature got the better of him and he started gathering up the empty dishes. Brock and Misty joined in too.

"It's okay, you three. Don't worry about it, this time." Ash's mom assured. "Mr. Mime will take care of cleaning up for today. Go ahead and have fun. You're only here for a week after all." On cue, Mr. Mime was there, clearing off the table.

Ash bounded out of the house and down his driveway with Brock and Misty on his heels. "Wait up, Ash!" Misty and Brock called out to him. Ash stopped, but only for a few seconds.

"I think I might pay a quick visit to Professor Oak's lab right now. Aw, he's going to be so surprised!"

Misty looked surprised herself. "Wait a minute. You mean he doesn't even know your coming?"

"Well not exactly. He knows that I'm traveling back from Kalos but he doesn't know when I'm visiting back home. Besides, if he's too busy, I can always come by later or another day before I have to leave again." Ash said sensibly.

He slowed down and enjoyed the scenery with Brock and Misty. He could see the Oak lab in the near distance. "I can't wait to see all of my Pokémon I have back at the lab. Let's see… there's Bulbasaur, Muk, Kingler…"

"I'm sure that they all will be very happy to see you," Misty assured.

"I wouldn't mind seeing some of the Pokémon you had during our journeys myself," Brock said.

They approached the front door of Professor Oak's lab. "Well, here we are." Ash knocked firmly on the door. The three of them waited. Ash was full to the brim with excitement. About a minute passed and still no Professor Oak. Excitement was beginning to turn into slight impatience.

Brock could see that Ash was getting impatient. "Maybe he's just out back observing the Pokémon."

Ash brightened up immediately. "You're right, Brock! Let's go around and find out."

"Ash, wait," Misty said hesitantly. They no more turned around when they heard the front door open.

"I knew Professor Oak wouldn't disappoint," Ash said confidently.

However, there in the door way stood a guy about Ash's age wearing a white lab coat. He had thick overly spiky auburn hair. His facial expression was just as confused as Ash, Brock and Misty's was.

"Gary?"

"Uh, hey Ash." Gary opened the door more and stepped outside. "I guess you're back home visiting for a bit too." He glanced at Brock and Misty who both waved with a 'Hi, Gary.'

"Yeah, I'm back for a week. I just wanted to stop by to surprise your grandfather. Is he busy?" Ash glanced around hoping that Professor Oak would walk around the corner at any moment.

"Sorry, Ash! My grandpa's not here right now. I'm taking care of this whole research facility today," Gary explained confidently.

"Wait, what?" Misty looked at Gary for a further explanation. There was no way that Gary Oak was in charge of the Oak lab – grandson of Professor Oak or not.

"I know you're an aspiring Pokémon Researcher, but I didn't expect…" Brock started.

Ash was too surprised now to say anything.

"Come on in, guys! And I'll tell you all about it!" Gary enthusiastically said beckoning them inside the Oak lab.


	3. Gary Oak

It was a clear sunny day in the Sinnoh region as Gary Oak took a break from his latest research. Right now as a Pokémon Researcher working for Professor Rowan – professor of the Sinnoh region, Gary was quite busy with the latest assignment.

"A Pokémon Researcher's work is never done," Gary said to himself as he glanced out the window. The current task that Professor Rowan had him partake in was to observe the interaction of the grass type Pokémon and the neighboring water type Pokémon that lived in the creek nearby. Researching Pokémon was in fact hard work and could prove to be challenging at times. Yet it was challenging in a good way. He loved discovering new findings through research. He looked through his notes and pondered if there was anything else he might want to add that he had observed so far that day.

"Gary, could you take a moment?"

Gary set his pencil down and turned his attention to Professor Rowan."Sure, Professor!"

Professor Rowan opened the lab's laptop and set it in front of Gary. There on the screen was Professor Oak. "It's a very important message from Professor Oak."

Gary was caught by surprise at Rowan's unexpected comment. Other than keeping in touch with his grandson, what important news could Professor Oak have?

"Gary! It's good to see you! How are things going in Sinnoh?"

"Hi, Grandpa," Gary replied. "Everything is going great. I've come up with a lot of great findings! How are things going back at the Oak lab? I'm sure Pallet town hasn't changed since I left."

Professor Oak cleared his throat to bide time to consider how he was going to say what he needed to say next. "That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

Gary leaned forward and gave his grandpa his undivided attention.

Professor Oak continued. "You are already aware that three times a year, a select number of professors is to attend a mandatory meeting. It's where we give a presentation on our latest research."

Gary nodded. He was aware of this. He had only attended a meeting once with Professor Rowan. The whole meeting lasted a total of six hours. It was tiring yet interesting.

"Well, this time the professors from Kanto, Johto and Hoenn were selected to attend this important meeting."

"That means you!"

"Yes. The meeting isn't until next month but I wanted to let you know in good time. How would you like to travel home for a bit to take care of my lab? It'll be only for a day. I've already mentioned this to Professor Rowan and he said it's absolutely doable."

Gary glanced up at Rowan who nodded.

"Gee, grandpa. You mean watch over the whole research facility by myself?" As confident as Gary had felt about Pokémon Research, he didn't think he had what it took to oversee the Oak lab alone. Maybe this occurrence was some sort of karma for all those times he was snobby and a bit too overconfident in the past.

"I know it sounds like a difficult task, but I have confidence in you that you will be able to handle it. You've been working under the care of Professor Rowan, and I've heard nothing but good things about you and your research there. "

"Thanks, but there's so much I'm still learning about being a Pokémon Researcher," Gary said humbly.

"That's what a part of Pokémon Research is all about," Professor Oak replied. "We're always learning something new. It's a never ending journey."

Gary pondered for a moment. Wait a minute! Professor Oak did have an assistant back at the lab.

"What about Tracey?" Tracey Sketchit was Oak's lab assistant.

"I would consider having Tracey take care of the lab, but he is also required to attend the meeting. He does know quite a bit as well however, I believe you are a bit more qualified. Remember if something comes up that you're not sure of, you can reach me through phone. If I don't answer, I will get back to you as soon as possible."

Thinking about what all he would be doing at the Oak lab, Gary felt a little more confident about the whole ordeal. "Sure thing, Grandpa. I know it's a big responsibility but I won't disappoint you."

"Very good! That is why I wanted to give you this notice well in advance. In case you couldn't make it, it would give me enough time to borrow a researcher from a professor of a different region who isn't attending this current meeting. There is just one more important detail. There will be a trainer coming that day to pick out a starter. Out of any of the duties that need to be done, I feel that helping this person choose their starter will be the most important."

"I agree."

"It's settled then. I'll see you in a month's time, Gary."

"I promise I won't disappoint you. I'll take care of the lab as if it were my own! See you soon, Grandpa!" Gary closed out of the video screen. He smiled. He felt extremely obligated to be taking care of the Oak lab. His grandfather trusted him and he was going to give it his all. Right now though, he had to focus on the current task – gathering his notes from research.


	4. Decisions Decisions

Ash stood in the Oak lab along with Brock, Misty and Gary. Shock from finding out that Gary Oak was running the lab alone had since subsided and now Ash was full of questions.

Ash gazed in wonder at all the books, the computer, important memos pinned to the wall, everything that was in the research facility. "Wow, Gary! Your grandfather left you in charge of all this? This is so cool!"

Gary nodded. "It's also a lot of responsibility too, Ash. I know more about Pokémon than I did before I started being a Pokémon Researcher, but there is still a lot I don't know yet."

"Well, he must have really believed in you." Misty assured.

"Working in a research lab is nothing new to me now," Gary explained. "It's just that my grandfather is widely known and highly respected. I want to do all that I can to run and take care of this lab the best I can."

Gary started over to a small counter with three Poke balls on top. He motioned for the others to follow. Ash felt a sense of de ja vu.

"The three Kanto starters!" Ash gasped under his breath.

"That's right. And anytime now, some beginning trainer will be coming to pick one out." Gary reached over to the three starter's Poke balls and released the center button on each of them so that all of the three starters were visible.

There stood a bulbasaur looking like it had been ready for battle since the day it hatched. Next to the bulbasaur stood a squirtle that seemed like it was all set for an adventure. Then there stood a charmander who, unlike the other two, seemed a bit shy and not too sure of heading out on a journey.

"I think it would be a great idea for a trainer to see them all up close and personal," Gary explained.

Brock carefully reached over extending his arm out to the three Kanto starters. "It's okay, you three."

The bulbasaur full of confidence stepped forward. "Bulba! Bulbasaur!"

The squirtle immediately followed the bulbasaur's lead. "Squirtle!"

The charmander though stayed where it was at but managed to give a positive reply. Even though it was not as outgoing as the other two, this charmander still wanted to make a good first impression.

Ash laughed. "Guess these three Pokémon are itching to go on their first journey!"

Misty seemed to stare more at the charmander. "I wouldn't say all of them. That little charmander seems to be a little on the shy side."

Gary nodded as he picked the charmander up for a moment. "I've been trying my best to get this charmander out of its shell. It may not be as outgoing as the other two, but it'll still be a great Pokémon for someone. Right, Charmander?"

"Char! Char!" the little charmander said in a surprisingly strong voice.

Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Everyone in the room froze.

"The trainer! " Gary swiftly yet carefully put the charmander down next to the other two starters. "Be ready, you three. One of you will be starting a new journey!"

Gary hurried over to the door and opened it for the beginning trainer. A girl about Ash's age stepped in looking a bit confused at all the people standing there. She looked as if she was wondering if she had come to the right place.

"Umm, is Professor Oak here? I'm here to pick out my starter. My name's Ember."

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Gary each exchanged a nod and a smile. Gary gave the best confident appearance that he could.

"So, you came to pick out a Pokémon, eh?"

Ember, as she called herself, wasn't all that convinced. She pulled a pamphlet out of her jacket pocket, looked at it, looked at Gary, and looked at the pamphlet again. She narrowed her eyes at Gary. "Funny, you don't look like Professor Oak."

Gary gave a nervous laugh. "Well, you see..." He figured this would happen.

"Gary Oak is actually Professor Oak's grandson!" Brock cut in.

Whenever anyone mentioned him, they associated Gary as being the grandson of Professor Oak. He was used to it though. "So I am, but just call me Gary, okay?"

Ash stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Ash and this is my partner, Pikachu," Ash said glancing a smile at his Pikachu.

"I'm Brock! Gym leader of the Pewter city gym whenever you get a chance to challenge me!" Brock said enthusiastically.

"And I'm Misty. I'm the Cerelean city gym leader. Water Pokemon are my specialty. Guess you'll be battling me too sometime," Misty smiled.

"My grandfather had a really important meeting to attend so he left me in charge." Gary said. "Helping Professor Rowan back in Sinnoh with Pokemon Research, and always hanging out here even before I was old enough to become a Pokemon trainer, I'm highly qualified!"

Ash rolled his eyes at the comment. There went Gary sounding a bit too overconfident.

"So which Pokemon will it be?"Gary walked over to the three starters that stood side by side. "There's Bulbasaur, the grass type, Squirtle, the water type, and Charmander, the fire type." Gary smiled at himself. Spending time at his grandfather's lab ever since he could remember, he knew exactly what to say. He was a natural! He'd have this trainer off and ready with a new Pokémon in no time!

Ember looked over each Pokémon carefully. All three of them stood ready to go.

"So which will it be?" Gary said.

The girl didn't answer right away. "I'm not sure." She searched each one feeling a bit frantic. "I thought I would know when I got here, but now, I'm not so sure now!"

Brock stepped forward. "Take your time! Whichever one you choose will be with you for the rest of your journey. It's important trainer and Pokémon get along."

"That's right!" Misty added. "You'll know in your heart when you've chosen the right Pokémon. That's how I've always felt when I've caught each of my water Pokémon!"

The girl smiled and looked at the three starters once more.

"Feel free to stay at the Oak lab as long as you like to help you decide. But I have to tell ya! It's a first come, first serve basis." Gary said.

Ash laughed. "Yeah, don't make the mistake I made when I came here to get my first starter. The only Pokémon left was this Pikachu!" He pointed at Pikachu who was perched on his shoulder. "Now I wouldn't trade him for the world!"

A light bulb seemed to go off above Gary's head. "Of course, as a Pokémon Researcher and even way before that, I can tell you all of the attacks of each of these Pokémon and then some. I can even tell you attacks they will learn once they evolve!" He then walked over to one of the bookshelves.

"Of course, you shouldn't take my word for it." Gary pulled out a rather thick book. "This book is called The Three Kanto Starters. It's divided into three sections with each one thoroughly explaining everything that is known about each of the three starters. It's written by my grandfather. It's really helpful. He then pulled three thinner books. "These other three focus each on one particular type. One book is about the grass type Pokémon, the other is about water, and last but not least, this one is about fire."

Ember just stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face. Ash, Brock and Misty's expressions were no different.

"Gary!" Ash exclaimed. "She wants to be a Pokémon trainer! Not a Pokémon Researcher!"

"I know it," Gary said. "You can never have enough knowledge on Pokémon though. Take it from me."

Ember quickly replied, "I really don't mind looking through these books. Maybe learning more about these three will help me decide." She took the books from Gary and sat down at one of the tables.

Gary just gave a 'hey, it worked' shrug. "So, Ash, did you come here originally to see your Pokémon that Professor Oak has here at the lab?"

"You bet!" Ash said enthusiastically. He was more than ready to see some of his old Pokémon friends.

Gary thought a bit on how to handle the current situation. Ash came to visit his Pokémon. A beginner trainer was here that needed help on deciding which Pokémon she wanted.

"My friends came here to visit some of the Pokémon here at the lab," Gary explained to the trainer. "Feel free to hang out here or you can come with us to see some of the other Pokémon."

The girl looked over at the three starters and then the books. "I'd love to see some of the other Pokémon, but I think I better just stay here and decide which Pokémon I want. Can Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander stay to help me in my decision?"

Gary nodded. "Whatever it takes to help you decide." He motioned for the others to follow him. "Come on, guys. Let's take a look at some of the Pokémon out back!"

Ember faced the three Kanto starters. "Whichever one of you I choose will be with me until the end of my journey. We're going to become fast friends. I just know it!"


	5. Pokémon Breakout

The bulbasaur, squirtle, and charmander paced around the lab mainly staying in the same area. The shy little charmander couldn't help but to watch the young beginner trainer as she leafed through the books and glanced out the window. Maybe he would be the one leaving the lab. How exciting that would be! Was he ready for an adventure out of the comfort of the Oak lab?

"Bulba! Bulbasaur! So, I guess this means one of us will be saying goodbye." The bulbasaur gently tapped the charmander on the shoulder with his vine whip.

"Char. Char. I guess so. I wonder who she'll pick. I'm going to miss it here."

The squirtle joined in. "Squirtle. Squirtle – Squirt! Of course, she's going to pick water. Water is best!"

Charmander just shook his head. As a fire type, he couldn't listen to a water type like Squirtle brag.

All of this chat from the Pokémon caused Ember to turn around and glance over at them. She smiled. "You three are so cute! Too bad I can't take you all with me."

She closed the book and stood up to stretch. Since she had arrived, she really didn't get a chance to take a good look at the lab. There were four bookshelves jam packed with books. They were in alphabetical order and all facing the same direction. Ember caught sight of a few plaques on the wall. Reading them, she discovered they were awards that Professor Oak had won. She slowly paced though the lab being as respectful as she could be as if she were in a museum. She saw pictures too. One showed an apparent younger version of Professor Oak. It was when he first started working at the lab. She laughed. The next picture showed Professor Oak holding a smiling baby. That must be that Gary!

Speaking of Gary, he and the others should be heading back at any moment. Ember wanted to go join them and look at the other Pokémon, but decided not to. She returned to the chair and picked up the fire type book. "Fire type moves… Flame thrower, Ember – Hey, that's me! – Fire Spin… I know quite a few of these already. They all sound like strong attacks. They're all good, but do I really want a fire type? Maybe I'll take a look at water." Ember mumbled as she read.

Bulbasaur looked at Ember and at the window furthest away on the other side of the room. The window was open just a crack to let fresh air in. He walked over to the window to the curiosity of Squirtle and Charmander.

"Bulbasaur! Today will be the last day we are all together. Let's go exploring outside for a bit!" Bulbasaur said boldly.

Charmander's eyes got big. "Char! Char! Are you crazy! It's dangerous out there without a trainer!"

Squirtle headed over to the window. "Squirtle! Squirtle! Sounds exciting! Count me in. We can work on our moves outside. I'm perfecting my water gun! Someday, I will be a powerful Blastoise!"

Bulbasaur glanced at Ember once more and once he realized she wasn't paying any attention, he swiftly used his vines to push the window open and climb on the ledge.

Squirtle stepped forward to hop on the ledge while Charmander stepped back. They couldn't be serious!

"Char! Charmander! Gary should be back any time now! We really shouldn't wander off."

Bulbasaur turned around to face Charmander with a smug look. "Bulbasaur! Pfft! He's not the boss of us!"

"Squirtle! Squirtle! Yeah! Where's your sense of adventure?" Squirtle inquired. And with that, the water and grass type plopped down on the grass outside. "Are you coming, Charmander?" Charmander could hear them beckoning.

Charmander was in a bit of a jam. Should he stay here like he was supposed to or did he really want to have one last adventure together with his two friends. After today, they would be separated. Charmander looked over at Ember who was quickly growing bored of reading now. If he was going to be a baddy – baddy like the others, he was going to have to make a quick decision. Charmander hurried over to the window and toppled down in the grass below with a thud.

This time, the thud from Charmander falling caught Ember's attention. The silence otherwise also caught Ember's attention. The Pokémon weren't talking amongst each other anymore. She quickly stood up and looked around.

"Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur?" She carefully walked over to each table, peeked behind every bookshelf. Where were the three Kanto starters? Maybe they just went back into their Poke balls. Pokémon did have the ability to do that. Didn't they?

Footsteps and voices were heard faintly.

"Oh, wow! Did you see the look on my Bulbasaur's face when he saw me?" Ash exclaimed.

"Don't forget Bayleef!" pointed out Misty.

"All of your Pokémon look great, Ash," said Brock.

"Of course they are. They're at one of the best Pokémon labs around!" Ash turned to Gary. "So, do you think that trainer made up her mind yet?" The four of them had just stepped back into the lab.

Gary didn't answer. He just stood there with a frozen look on his face. "Oh no!"

Ash, Brock, and Misty knew something was terribly wrong but couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander! They're gone!" Gary exclaimed.

Ember frantically approached the others. "I don't know what happened. I was reading, and they were talking to each other, and the next thing I know, they were gone!"

Something caught Brock's eye. "The window!" There was the window on the other side of the room pushed open enough for a small pokémon to squeeze through.

Gary rushed over and looked down in the grass below. "They must have jumped out the window and ran off somewhere!" Not all of the research on Pokémon could ever prepare Gary for this!

Misty could sense that Ember was feeling as if was all her fault. "Hey, don't worry, Ember. We'll find them, and you can finally start your journey!"

Ember relaxed and tried to keep positive.

"I don't get it…" Gary pondered. "Why would those three just up and leave? Especially that Charmander?" Did they jump out the window because they were afraid of something? Was it just because they were young pokémon and full of energy? Maybe it was because they weren't used to Professor Oak not being there. Gary realized he couldn't spend too much time on why they had jumped out the window. He had to figure out how to get them back. For all anyone knew, the Pokémon could be in some sort of danger!

The five of them rushed outside and scanned the area immediately around them. Gary kneeled down and looked under the bushes by the front door. There was no sign of any Pokémon whatsoever. Not even a stray Weedle. Ash, Brock, Misty, and Ember did the same. Even Ash's Pikachu joined in.

"There's no time to lose. For all we know, these Pokémon could be in trouble. Does anyone have any Pokémon that could help us look for these three? Maybe one with sharp eyesight or a flying type." Gary suggested.

"Oh, you bet! You don't even have to ask me twice!" Ash said willingly. "I know exactly who I'm going to use." Ash knew that his Noctowl would be the ideal Pokémon to help in the search. Noctowl had helped him find missing Pokémon many times in the past when he was in Johto. "I have Noctowl right here at the lab. I saw him on the tree branch back behind the lab. I'll go get him!" Ash turned the corner to fetch his Noctowl.

Brock reached in his pocket, revealing a Poke ball. With a flash, a purple bat Pokémon fluttered out. "And I'll use Crobat!"

"I obviously don't have any Pokémon, but I really want to help too!" Ember pleaded. If they didn't find the three starters, she couldn't go on her journey.

Brock, Misty, and Gary were taken aback by Ember's strong willingness to help. Especially with her being a beginner trainer with most likely, no experience in anything Pokémon related whatsoever.

"Now we can't leave any stone unturned." Gary said. "They might have even left the property for all we know."

Brock thought about Gary's remark. "Hey, maybe we could split up to find them."

Gary thought about this plan carefully. "Splitting up would be the better option. We'll cover more ground that way. A pair of us can go this way, (he motioned to the area on the left) and another pair can look for them this way (he motioned to the area to the right). One of us will have to stay here though in case they come back on their own."

The others exchanged glances at each other. Who would stay behind? Finally, Ember volunteered. "I'll stay here and keep an eye out."

"Thanks, Ember. Thanks, a lot, everyone!" Gary replied relieved. He felt somewhat bad for the beginner trainer. Here was a trainer excited to start her journey and this happens. Even though she still didn't know which starter she wanted, she still had a love for Pokémon. "I'm really sorry about all this. I can't figure out why they would just run away like that. I'm going to do all that I can to get them back so you can get started on your journey!"

Ember nodded feeling sympathetic. Upon first meeting Gary Oak, she wasn't too sure about him since he obviously wasn't Professor Oak and showed somewhat of an overconfident attitude. Now, she realized that he was doing his very best to take care of the lab. Staying here was the best she could do to help. After all, she really wasn't familiar with the area as the others probably were. She sat down on the steps as she watched the others pair off in search of the three starters.

"Oh please, come back, little Pokémon! "She pleaded aloud hoping that somehow they would hear her request.

As the others searched, Gary remained quieter than usual. His grandfather put him in charge of the research lab and somehow, the three Kanto starters go missing. If he did not find those three safe, he could just imagine his grandfather's disappointment. He remembered what his grandfather told him. Out of all of the important tasks that need done at the lab, making sure this trainer picks out a starter will be one of the most important ones. There was no way he was going to let Professor Oak down and no way was he going to let this trainer down. He was in charge of the Oak lab for today and he was going to get them back with whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I'm just under half way done with my story - my first one based on Pokemon! Of course, I don't own Pokemon but this would be a rather interesting episode in the anime. There's still quite a bit of action to go, and those three starters are still out there. For those of you wondering, the inspiration of this story came from an idea about Gary Oak someday taking over the Oak lab after Professor Oak. I really wanted to keep his more mature, friendly, yet still slightly overconfident attitude as he was in Johto and ongoing. Plus, I love his character development in the anime! I'm hoping to include more interaction with Ash, Brock, Misty, and Ember, the beginner trainer I've made up.
> 
> I'm really enjoying writing this story! Even I don't know what will happen next at times. As I'm mainly writing on a laptop, I'll be updating at the most once a week.


	6. Planning Trouble

The little Charmander carefully observed his surroundings. Just a few feet ahead stood Bulbasaur and Squirtle. The Oak lab was just behind them. Charmander knew he should have stayed behind. They were going to get themselves into trouble. He just knew it! Bulbasaur and Squirtle didn't seem the least bit worried. Actually, they were very excited to be on this adventure.

Squirtle spied a Caterpie and playfully shot a water gun at it. The Caterpie jumped back in surprise and shot a string shot in defense. Squirtle jumped back to dodge it. Bulbasaur noticed some apples growing on a tree above them and eagerly used his vine whip to knock some out of the tree.

"Squirtle! Yay! Thanks, Bulbasaur!"Squirtle cheered as he took an apple for a snack. Charmander took an apple as well. Even though he was having second thoughts of wandering away with the others, he was a little hungry despite having just eaten at the lab with the others just a few hours before.

"Bulbasaur. Bulba Bulba. So, Charmander, aren't you going to work on your fire moves too?" Bulbasaur inquired between bites of his apple.

Charmander stood his ground. "Char! Char! Charmander! I don't have to use any of my fire type moves. I'm saving my strength for when I leave the lab with my new trainer."

"Squirtle Squirt! Squirtle! I bet he doesn't know how to use attacks like Fire Spin," taunted Squirtle.

The audacity of Squirtle's comment! "Charmander! Char! Char! I may not know how to use Fire Spin, but I do know Flamethrower!" And with that, Charmander shot out a fairly strong flamethrower toward Squirtle. Not being ready for Charmander's surprise attack, Squirtle dodged it just in time.

Bulbasaur quickly stood between Charmander and Squirtle breaking up their little tussle. "Bulba! Bulba! We really shouldn't be fighting with each other. We ventured out here to have some fun. Now let's have some fun."

Charmander and Squirtle nodded. Bulbasaur was right. They continued until they reached an open field. It smelled of fresh grass and sweet smelling flowers. An Oddish, a few Caterpie, and some Bellsprout scampered here and there among the field. Bulbasaur stood in awe at the luscious green grass. Bulbasaur was, without question, a grass type and just being here made him feel at home. He could stay out here all day!

Even the fire and water type were impressed. Charmander who was previously having second thoughts on venturing out was now feeling bold enough to actually have fun. Maybe if they stayed in the field for just a little bit longer and headed right back to the lab, that new trainer would have already made up her mind. Charmander thought about the lab and Professor Oak's grandson, Gary, taking over for the day. He thought about the two visitors, and the beginner trainer. Now, he was having second thoughts again. This time, it wasn't because of how dangerous the world was outside of the Oak lab. This time it was because of how worried everyone must be. He knew he shouldn't have left the lab. Poor Gary! He was doing his absolute best to take care of him, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur and the other Pokémon back at the lab. And that trainer! Charmander could see the determination in her eyes. Choosing the right starter was so important to her.

Charmander rushed over to Squirtle and Bulbasaur. "Char! Char! Gary must be worried sick. He's probably looking for us right now. We should go back now."

Bulbasaur and Squirtle took a moment to look around. As bold and adventurous as they had been, even the grass and water Pokémon were beginning to feel bad about wandering away from the lab.

Bulba, Bulbasaur! Charmander is right. Let's go back." Bulbasaur turn a step in the direction of the lab.

"Squirtle. Squirtle. What will the new trainer think when she sees her favorite starter Pokémon isn't there? Water!" Squirtle chimed in.

"Char! Char! What makes you think she's going to pick water. She might pick grass or fire."Charmander argued. With that, Charmander turned to show off his blazing tail flame.

"Bulbasaur. Bulba. Bulba. Well, she's not going to be picking anyone if we're not there." Bulbasaur insisted.

They turned to head out of the grassy field. They kept a steady pace. It was slow enough for them to take in their surroundings, yet fast enough for them to get back to the lab in a decent amount of time. They all agreed it would be best to return in the exact same direction in which they came just in case Gary and the others were searching for them as they most likely were.

Unbeknownst to them, some other characters were spying on them from way up in the sky. A hot air balloon resembling a Meowth glided slowly among the grassy field and the three Kanto starters.

"Look what we have here!" a talking Meowth in the balloon exclaimed as he spotted the wandering Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander through binoculars.

A girl with super long magenta hair snatched the binoculars away from the talking Meowth. "Let me see!" she demanded a bit anxious to see what she was missing. She wore a white midriff top with a red "R" printed on the front, black gloves, a white mini skirt, and knee high black boots.

As soon as she saw the three Kanto starters, she could not contain her excitement. "Ahhh! What an adorable Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander! And with no trainer in sight! It's like the whole Kanto starter package – all three starters included!"

The third passenger in the balloon a guy with shoulder length blue hair anxiously reached for the binoculars the girl was using. "Let me see, Jessie." He wore a white shirt also with an "R" printed on the front, black gloves, white pants, and black boots. The appearance of these uniforms signified that the characters in the Meowth hot air balloon belonged to a certain organization.

"Hmm, they are quite the crowd…" the guy mumbled as he watched the three walk a few feet, look around, and walk some more. "I wonder where they could have come from. It doesn't seem to me like they'd be wild Pokémon."

"Oh who cares where they came from, James!" Jessie shouted a bit exasperated. "Let's just snatch them!"

Suddenly a blue Pokémon with a cylinder shape and scrunched up eyes appeared from his Poke ball. "Wooobuuuffet!" he saluted in agreement.

Meowth's eyes widened and shone bright. "And after we snatch those three, we can give them as a gift to the boss! "

Jessie and James looked at Meowth to explain some more. The reason they were here in the first place was to fulfill their duties in Team Rocket, the organization they were members of. Jessie, James, and Meowth were here spying on Ash as usual in hopes of catching him off guard so that they could finally steal his Pikachu. Unfortunately, since they were barely on Ash's trail but knew he was still there in Kanto somewhere, the three just glided in their balloon until they spotted something. This time, it was the Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander who had wandered away from the Oak lab.

"So how beneficial will a Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander be to the boss?" James asked.

"Just think," Meowth continued, "The boss goes about his daily business and these three will just make his day all the more easy for him. Bulbasaur has strong sturdy vines – perfect for reaching things that might be just out of reach for the boss. Squirtle can pull off a powerful water gun and that will be helpful for putting out any bonfires the boss might want to have or maybe filling up a bucket of mop water. Speaking of fires, Charmander will be perfect for lighting the way. Imagine, the boss stumbles out in the hallway at night for a drink of water. Instead of fumbling for the light switch, he can just use Charmander to light the way!"

Jessie and James grinned and nodded at Meowth's idea as if it was the most genius one yet. Being members of Team Rocket, bringing a suitable Pokémon for their boss, Giovanni, was long overdue. With the successful capture of Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander, they were sure their reward would be times three.

Jessie thought for a second and frowned. "There's just one problem, Meowth. How are we supposed to successfully snatch those three if we left our Pokémon back at Team Rocket headquarters?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth pondered for a bit. When they were in the Kalos region, Jessie had Pumpkaboo who evolved into Gourgeist, and James had Inkay. Now that Jessie only had her Wobbuffet and James didn't have any Pokémon whatsoever, catching Pokémon for Team Rocket was going to be a bit of a challenge now. Of course, Meowth was a Pokémon. However, he only battled when he absolutely had to.

"We already used up just about all of our funds for our fancy high tech machines," James sighed.

"That always seem to get blown up," sulked Meowth.

"And us blasting off. Again." James added.

Jessie glanced down at the three Kanto starters making sure they didn't get out of sight. "Well, instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, let's come up with a better plan!"

"Right!"James and Meowth agreed in unison.

Meowth looked down mischievously at the three. "Those three better watch their backs. With no annoying twerps around to ruin our plans, snatching those three might actually be a piece of cake!"

"Let's do it!" The Team Rocket trio cheered with Jessie's Wobbuffet saluting in absolute agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Team Rocket trio is probably one of my favorite characters to write about.


	7. Curiosity and Bravery

Since splitting up to have a better chance at finding the three Kanto starters, Ash teamed up with Gary and Brock teamed up with Misty. Ash and Gary went left while Brock and Misty went right. The two teams working together would then end up making a circle and return back to the lab with the hopes of successfully finding Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

Brock and Misty stopped by the edge of a stream. They haven't seen anything except for some Pidgey, Caterpie, and Weedle much to Misty's disgust. Misty kneeled down and swirled her hand in the cool water. "I hope we find them, Brock," she sighed.

Brock nodded. "If my guess is right, those three probably stayed together." Brock stood confident in his guess. Just from seeing the three back at the lab, he had a feeling that the three of them had a close friendship with each other.

Misty stood up and felt much better about looking for them. "You're right." She put her hand over her forehead, narrowed her eyes, and slowly scanned the area. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Brock, look!" She ran over to an apple tree whose branches had been shaken by some sort of Pokémon.

Brock ran up to where Misty stood as she pointed to three apple cores lying in the grass at the base of the tree. "Hey!" Brock exclaimed. "I wonder if the Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander left these here."

Misty bent over to examine one of the eaten apples. "Well, if they did, at least they're not hungry."

Brock examined one of the apples as well. "And it looks like they were eaten not all that long ago which means they might still be in the area. Let's see if Ash and Gary found anything!"

Just a short distance away in the opposite direction, Ash and Gary continued the search for the three missing Pokémon. Pikachu hopped toward some bushes calling out for Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. "Pika – pi!"

Ash stepped over to where Pikachu was. "See anything, buddy?" he asked hopeful.

Pikachu shook his head a bit disappointed as Gary walked over to them.

"Any luck, Ash?"

"No, we haven't found anything yet." Ash looked up at Noctowl who had followed them and was perched on a branch. "Noctowl, fly overhead and see if you can find anything." Without another thought, Ash's Noctowl soared through the sky in search of the three Kanto starters.

Ash noticed Gary bent down looking closely at the dirt. "What are you doing?" Ash asked.

"Looking for any tracks those three might have left," Gary explained not taking his eyes off the ground. "I'm hoping they decided to stay together. If we find any, that will help us out a great deal! Especially if we can find three sets of footprints!"

Ash nodded as he joined Gary in looking for footprints. "So, would you recognize Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander's tracks if you did find them?"

Gary looked up at Ash and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I am a Pokémon Researcher, aren't I? Hmm, I mean I at least would know how to identify Pokémon footprints."

Ash sighed, "Whatever you say, Gary. I wonder if Brock and Misty –"

"Hey, Ash! Gary!" Ash whipped around at the sound of Brock's voice. Brock and Misty were running up to them with Misty holding on to something cupped in her hands.

"Did you guys find anything?" asked Gary as he tried to see what Misty was holding.

Misty stepped forward and held out her two hands showing Ash and Gary the three apples that were eaten down to their cores. "We found these not too far from here under an apple tree."

"We think that Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander had a little snack. These apples look like they've been eaten not all that long ago." Brock said.

Ash's eyes lit up when he saw the eaten apples. "Hey, this may be a lead! What do you think, Gary?"

Gary took an apple core from Misty and looked it over. His facial expression showed that he wasn't all that impressed. He handed the apple core back to Misty. "Hmm. This could be a clue but I wouldn't hold my breath just yet. A number of other Pokémon that have similar bite marks compared to Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander could have eaten these apples."

Ash, Brock, and Misty were a bit disappointed with Gary's theory. They all thought it was a good lead but apparently, Gary did not. "So do you think we should continue looking for better clues?" Ash questioned.

Gary stood firm with fire in his eyes. "Well, of course we're going to keep looking! I don't know about you guys, but, at least I am! I'm not going to stop looking for those three until I find all three of them safe!" Gary turned and walked ahead towards where the trees met a green and spacious field. He just stared off into the field for what seemed like the longest time.

He sighed. "When my grandpa asked me to take over the lab for today, I wasn't too sure about it at first." Ash, Misty, and Brock nodded understandingly.

Gary continued. "And then I realized just how far I had come as a Pokémon Researcher working under the guidance of Professor Rowan. Since arriving in Pallet town, I've been working really hard to run the Oak lab just as my grandpa would want it to be run. I know that someday, I'll be the one taking over the lab. I just didn't think something crazy like this would happen. You know with the three starters escaping. I just want my grandpa to be proud of me."

Ash smiled sympathetically as he put an arm around his former rival's shoulder. "Hey, now. I think you've done an awesome job running the lab just from what I've seen. Professor Oak would be incredibly proud of you. Ha! You did go a bit over the top in helping Ember choose a starter. Huh, Gary?"

Gary looked over at Ash and gave a soft laugh yet remained serious. "Thanks, Ash."

"And it's like you said," Misty added. "You're not going to stop looking for them. And we're not going to stop looking for them either!"

The four of them stepped out into the open field. They took in the sights and scents that Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander had experienced moments earlier. A Pidgey hopped in the grass and suddenly pounced as it stalked a Caterpie. The Caterpie dodged and defended itself with a string shot. Misty noticed and closed her eyes in slight disgust as she walked on through the field. The field was the exact same field that the three starters had crossed through. Unfortunately, their searchers were in a different area of the field looking for them.

There was a small island of scraggly trees amongst the grassy field. On the other side of the small island in the other part of the field, the Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander continued. Bulbasaur took the lead with Squirtle and Charmander close behind. Charmander looked to the left and to the right with wide eyes being alert as possible.

"Char! Char! Are we still going in the right direction?"

The other two paused. "Bulba! Bulbasaur. Sure we are! All we have to do is back track. Come on! It's just a little bit further." Bulbasaur urged.

"Squirtle! Squirtle! I hope so! I can't wait to go for a swim back at the lab." Squirtle sighed. Being a water Pokémon, he didn't feel like himself without water to splash around in.

Just several yards ahead of them, Team Rocket lay in the tall grass carefully watching the three Pokémon as they unknowingly inched closer to them. "They're getting closer," Jessie whispered excitedly. "Come on, just a little closer…"

"So, do you think our plans going to work this time, Jessie?" James asked feeling a bit doubtful about their trap.

Jessie gave James an annoyed look. "Of course it's going to work! We thought this plan out down to the last detail, didn't we?"

Meowth swiped his claws at Jessie and James in frustration. "Hey! Quiet, you two! They're almost at our trap." Meowth kept his voice just above a loud whisper.

All three starters froze in their tracks. Bulbasaur and Squirtle took a few steps forward. Charmander kept a few steps behind being the ever-cautious Pokémon that he was. All three of them could see something in the grass by a tree. It looked like something to eat but they weren't sure until they got a closer look. As the other two inched closer, Charmander stopped in his tracks and focused his eyesight on the mysterious object on the ground. Something didn't seem right, but Charmander couldn't place why.

"Char! Char! Charmander. Hey, guys! Maybe we should leave whatever that is alone. Besides, I have a feeling someone's watching us."

Bulbasaur and Squirtle stopped but only to laugh at the fire Pokémon. "Squirtle. Squirtle. Charmander! Don't be ridiculous. There's nobody else here. You worry way too much. It looks like food that must have gotten dropped." Squirtle laughed.

The three of them were just about on top of the mysterious object. Bulbasaur sniffed.

"Bulba. Bulba. It is food. It's like the Pokémon food Professor Oak feeds us." Bulbasaur happily bounded towards the Pokémon food in the grass. Right on cue, was Squirtle. They both jumped with joy.

"Food! Charmander, food!" they both called out to the fire Pokémon. Charmander wasn't really all that hungry but he could eat a little snack. Maybe he was over reacting. He went to join them when all of a sudden Bulbasaur and Squirtle were whipped up in the air in a net. Charmander had barely dodged the net in time as it nicked his tail.

"Charmander! Oh no! Bulbasaur! Squirtle!" was all the little Charmander could get out.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle squirmed in the net that was now hanging in the tree that was above the food. All three of them knew there was no time to waste. There was only one of them that would be able to get help and that was Charmander.

"Bulba! Bulba! Charmander, you have to go find Gary and the others and get help!" Bulbasaur pleaded.

Charmander started to shake his head. Until now, he had Bulbasaur and Squirtle to protect him. They protected each other. Now he was the one that had to be brave.

Charmander noticed the island made of the scraggly trees. It was just a few yards away. If that was a short cut, it could be his best chance at finding help. With a burst, he ran through the small island and into the other part of the field. He kept running even though his legs were tired and his tail flame was weakening. Gratefully, he could see the Oak lab in view, as he exited the field.

Just then, he heard a voice. He looked around frantically. It sounded familiar.

"Oh, my goodness! Charmander!" Charmander was quickly swooped up in Ember's arms. She looked the little fire Pokémon right in the eye with concern. "What happened to you? Where's Bulbasaur and Squirtle?"


	8. Reuniting with Fire

Jessie threw her arms up in frustration as she burst out of the tall grass. She, James, and Meowth watched as the three Pokémon approached their trap. They grinned as they saw the Pokémon get swept up in their trap. Well, two out of the three that is. The little Charmander was so fast, before anyone in Team Rocket could say or do anything, it was long gone.

James and Meowth took the net down with the Bulbasaur and Squirtle yelling and squirming.

"Hey, quit squirmin'!" Meowth shouted at the grass and water type a bit annoyed. "We worked hard on this plan so don't go ruinin' it!"

With a bit of a struggle, James picked up the net and put it in their balloon. He sighed. "It's too bad we weren't able to get the whole Kanto starter package."

Jessie, James and Meowth looked down at the two Pokémon that were now just giving them a "just wait" kind of look. The Team Rocket trio wasn't the least bit phased by the Bulbasaur and Squirtle's attempted intimidating stares.

The more Jessie looked at the two Pokémon, the more frustrated she became that there was one missing. "Oh, this won't do!"

James and Meowth sunk at Jessie's comment. They were just about as disappointed that the Charmander got away as she was.

"Two out of three ain't bad, Jessie," Meowth said.

"That Charmander probably wasn't even worth catching," James said. The Team Rocket trio hopped in their balloon and drifted up in the sky.

Jessie took out the binoculars and quickly scanned the area. "No, we can't give an incomplete collection to the boss. Let's keep looking."

James and Meowth nodded. Jessie was right. They couldn't give up that easily. A little Charmander couldn't be that hard to find. They carefully scanned every bit of the grassy field before heading off in the direction they thought charmander could have gone.

"We're gonna find that little fireball if it's the last thing we do!" Meowth said with determination.

Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, Misty, Ember, and Gary were becoming increasingly worried. They had found the eaten apples as a possible clue, but they had to keep an eye out for more. Brock searched the sky since sending out his Crobat. Ash waited anxiously for his Noctowl.

"Come on, Noctowl," Ash said under his breath crossing his fingers.

The four friends could only stand looking in the sky for Noctowl and Crobat's return.

"I hope they found something," Misty said.

Almost as if their Pokémon had heard them, Noctowl and Crobat returned.

Noctowl swooped by Ash's head, flew ahead a few yards and back to Ash again.

"I think Noctowl just found something!" Ash shouted anxiously.

Just then, they heard a familiar voice and fast footsteps trampling through the grass where Noctowl had hovered by.

"I found Charmander! I found Charmander!" Ember cried out with Charmander in her arms. He was obviously tired and his tail flame was looking better, but still weak. She carefully put Charmander on the ground.

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Gary stood there in shock. Gary ran up to Charmander and Ember."Good to have you back, Charmander. Ember, where did you find him?"

"I was walking along the edge of the Oak lab property when I saw Charmander run out of the woods." Ember explained. "I didn't see anyone else. He was by himself."

"Charmander, are you okay? What happened to Bulbasaur and Squirtle?" Gary questioned the little fire Pokémon.

Suddenly, Charmander seemed to find a burst of energy. "Char! Char!" He rushed a few feet ahead and pointed toward the side of the open field where he remembered Bulbasaur and Squirtle were last seen before being captured.

Ash thought about the fire Pokémon's actions. "What are you saying, Charmander? Are you saying you know where Bulbasaur and Squirtle are?"

"Char! Char!" Charmander jumped up excitedly.

Gary ran ahead so that he stood next to Charmander. "We should probably check it out. We have to be careful. We don't know what kind of trouble those Pokémon are in."

Ash smiled as he looked over at Pikachu who was now on his shoulder. "Pikachu will be ready for whatever comes. Right, Pikachu?"

Despite the dilemma they were in, Gary couldn't help but to scoff. "I see some things never changed with you, Ash."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked just a little defensively. He knew Gary was talking about Pikachu.

"We don't even know what we're getting into and already you've decided that Pikachu will be your default Pokémon. I know your other Pokémon are back at my grandpa's lab, but it's still a foolish decision if you ask me."

"Hey, don't worry!" Ash said confidently. "I'll deal with any problems when the time comes. Besides, if Pikachu can't help, I have Noctowl. Plus, Misty and Brock have their Pokémon."

"Hmm… that's so typical of you, Ash. Always rushing into things. We have to be extra careful. We can't afford to make any careless decisions. Come on guys!" Gary exclaimed following Charmander as he ignored Ash shaking his head and giving him a look.

Ash walked with Brock and Misty as Gary and Charmander walked ahead of them. Ember trailed behind Gary and right in front of Ash, Brock, and Misty.

Ash knew Gary preferred to think things through and have a good solid plan rather than to rush into things without thinking like Ash usually did. Ash figured what he was going to do when the time arose. He acted in the moment. Gary was more of a planner.

Ember stopped so she was now walking along side Ash, Brock and Misty. "Sounds like you and Gary have known each other for a long time."

"Yeah," Ash replied thinking back to when he and Gary were little kids before they were even old enough to become Pokémon trainers."Me and Gary go way back. We used to hang out and walk around Pallet town all the time. Pretty easy since we were next-door neighbors. Right, Gary?"

Gary didn't answer Ash at first. He only paused for a second so the others could catch up. He then reached in his pocket and pulled out half of a rusted Poke ball. He polished it off with his sleeve. He held it, admiring it and the memories it brought up. "We did have our differences. That's for sure!" Gary thought back on the times when he was always ridiculing Ash calling him a loser who didn't know anything about Pokémon and would never have what it takes to become Pokémon Master.

To Ember's surprise, Ash reached in his backpack and pulled out another Poke ball half. It was obviously the match of the one Gary had. "The Poke ball we fought over when we were fishing. It's so cool to see you still have it. I still have mine."

Gary nodded in agreement. "This Poke ball brings back a lot of memories. Remember when we were so obsessed with catching it."

Ash remembered well. "Yeah, we actually tied on that catch."

"And I said that tying with you, Ash, would just be a loss for me," Gary said thinking about their bitter rivalry in the past. "I don't know about you, Ash, but I think we both grew a great deal as Pokémon trainers. I know I learned more than I ever thought I could learn. I'm really glad we were able to put aside our differences and finally become friends again."

Ash smiled warmly. "Me too, Gary. Best friends."

Brock noticed that Ember looked a bit confused at Ash and Gary's trip down memory lane.

"Gary Oak was actually Ash's former rival back in Kanto and Johto. He was always one step or two steps ahead of him." He told Ember.

"Well I wasn't too far behind!" Ash insisted. "And I did beat him in the Silver Conference."

Gary thought back to the Silver Conference when it was him versus. Ash. He hated to admit it at first, but Ash did come a long ways as a competent Pokémon trainer. "I never thought I'd see the day. It was hard for me to take you seriously, but later on, even before you beat me in a battle, I realized you're not such a loser after all. Huh, Ashy – boy?" Gary laughed.

Ash didn't reply to Gary's comment. He only mumbled. He found that nickname just a bit annoying. After reminiscing, they all turned back to their mission– finding the missing Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

Charmander stopped. He found Gary and the others and he was safe. He had no idea what to do now. There in front of him stood the tree where Bulbasaur and Squirtle were captured. There was even some food left on the ground. Charmander pointed at the leftover food. However, there was no Bulbasaur or Squirtle. "Char! Charmander!" Charmander was growing increasingly worried now. Whoever set that trap had taken his only two Pokémon friends with them. He only hoped the humans would find them before who only knows what.

Gary bent over to look at the food. Something didn't seem right. He wasn't sure what though.

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Ember looked at the food as well. "It looks like the Pokémon food that I would feed my Pokémon," observed Brock picking up a morsel of food.

"You're right, Brock. I feed this exact same kind of food to my water Pokémon." Misty stated.

Gary was still deep in thought. "We all know this is Pokémon food used to give our Pokémon strength and energy. Why is it in the middle of this field as if somebody just dropped it here on purpose? Seems kind of suspicious if you ask me."

Ash lit up. "Hey, I bet this might have something to do with the missing Bulbasaur and Squirtle!"

Gary nodded in agreement. "I think you might be right, Ash."

Charmander jumped up and down excitedly. Now they were getting it.

"Charmander agrees," Misty noted. She turned to Charmander. "Isn't that right, Charmander? Do you, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle know anything about this Pokémon food?"

"Char! Char!" Charmander was glad the humans were on the right track. He pointed up at the tree. How on earth was he going to tell the humans that Bulbasaur and Squirtle were swept up in a net and captured? That was a lot for an inexperienced little fire Pokémon. It was a lot really for any Pokémon.

Not too far away, three familiar figures were spying on Ash, Brock, Misty, Gary, and Ember. Team Rocket soared high in the distance in their Meowth balloon.

"Charmander spotted straight ahead at 12:00!" Meowth called out full of excitement. "And it looks like he's got the twerps with him too!"

Jessie and James looked swiftly at the crew below. Even Jessie's Wobbuffet had to steal a look. "Figures the twerps would show up to ruin our plans," Jessie said annoyed.

James shook his head. They finally found that Charmander that had dodged their trap. However, he wasn't alone. "Well, we're not going to let that happen, are we Jessie?"

"Of course not!" Jessie exclaimed. She was determined to get the runaway Charmander and while they were at it, they'd take an attempt at stealing Ash's Pikachu too.

Meowth made another observation. "Hey, that other twerp looks awfully familiar." He zoomed in with the binoculars. "I know who that is now! That's that snobby know it all Gary Oak!"

"Hmm. I wonder what he's doing here," James noted. "Wasn't the last time we saw him was all the way back in Sinnoh?"

Jessie had her eyes solely on Charmander. "Who cares?" she shrugged. "All I know is he won't be getting in our way."

Team Rocket looked at the twerps below. It was clear they were outnumbered. It would be foolish to attack now. If they did and with hardly any Pokémon, they would be sure to blast off.

"So, how are we gonna to snatch that Charmander?" Meowth wondered his voice full of doubt.

"It's going to be quite the challenge with all those twerps and their Pokémon." James added.

"And the only Pokémon we have is me and Wobbuffet!" Meowth complained.

Jessie grinned mischievously. Unlike James and Meowth, she didn't seem the least bit concerned. "Don't you worry! As the most gorgeous and possibly brightest member here, I have a plan."


	9. Team Rocket

The gang couldn't help but to stay in the area where Bulbasaur and Squirtle were captured. There were still plenty of unanswered questions. What happened to Bulbasaur and Squirtle? Were they okay? What did Charmander know and how was he able to come back and not the others?

"I just can't stop thinking about all this," Gary pondered deep in thought. "This eaten Pokémon food especially and how it looks like it's been left out like bait."

The others just looked around a bit uncomfortable. They didn't want to think about the food that way.

"I don't know, Gary. I guess it is a possibility," Misty said hesitantly.

"Who would even do such a thing?" Ash asked as if the idea was the most preposterous yet.

All of a sudden, the nearby forest just across the field came to life as the trees swayed and were mowed down by some kind of machine.

Everyone was speechless as the machine plowed towards them.

Ash was the first to find his voice. "What is that?"

The machine resembled a purple cobra – like Pokémon. It had piercing eyes that glowed and stood twelve feet high.

"Whoa! It's a giant Arbok!" Brock gasped in astonishment.

Gary was still in shock but now annoyed. "What's going on here!?" he demanded.

High-pitched laughter answered his question. "We're here for one thing and one thing only!" Jessie replied from the window of the Arbok machine along with James and Meowth. "Charmander!"

Ember quickly picked up the little fire Pokémon and held him tight. "What, no! You can't take him!" she cried defiantly.

"Team Rocket!" Ash, Brock, Misty, and Gary shouted.

Holding onto Charmander, Ember had to ask. "Who's Team Rocket?"

Ash stared Team Rocket down before answering. "They're bad guys that steal other people's Pokémon. They've been after my Pikachu for a long time. I thought maybe they'd given up."

Meowth appeared at the window and laughed. "We don't give up that easily!"

"And we're not going to give up until we get that Charmander." James added.

Ember froze in disbelief. Did that Meowth just talk? She was just getting started as a Pokémon trainer and there was so much she didn't know about Pokémon. Still, she knew it was very unusual for a Pokémon to speak human language. "Oh, wow! A talking Meowth," she said to herself astonished. What else could happen next?

Misty looked at the others concerned. "Hey, I bet those three have something to do with the missing Bulbasaur and Squirtle."

The Team Rocket trio grinned mischievously as Jessie held up the net containing Bulbasaur and Squirtle. "Do you mean these two?" Jessie asked innocently.

Gary couldn't believe it as he stared at the Bulbasaur and Squirtle that he, Ash and the others were desperately searching for. The grass and water type squirmed in the net as soon as they saw Gary and the others. "Hey! Those Pokémon belong to my grandfather's lab! They're for new trainers who are ready to get started on their journey!"

Jessie gave a smug look and laughed as the twerps glared at Team Rocket. "Well it looks like they're just going to have to find some other Pokémon."

Team Rocket then focused their eyes on Ember. She dared not lose her grip on Charmander. The fire Pokémon stared in shock at his two Pokémon friends. If he were just as adventurous and brave as they were, it would have been him in the net as well.

"If you would kindly hand over that Charmander so we can have a complete Kanto starter collection," James said.

Ember quickly shook her head. "You're not getting this Charmander." She hugged Charmander as she felt the heat radiate from his tail. Even though Ember was new and not at all experienced with Pokémon, Charmander felt safe. She was serious about protecting him. Still, it wasn't over yet.

"And exactly what do you want with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander?" Ash inquired.

"Why we're going to give them as a gift for our boss," Jessie said.

"It's time to show you goody goodies just how much of baddy baddies we really are!" Meowth grinned as he pushed a button. The giant Arbok reared up and whipped its tail towards Ember. Ember screamed and ducked as she unwillingly let go of Charmander.

Team Rocket's giant Arbok and its brutal attacks struck everyone speechless. "Ember!" Misty cried. She rushed over to her new friend and helped her up. To everyone's dismay, a long giant arm rolled out of the machine and snatched Charmander.

"Charmander! Oh no!" Gary shouted.

"You twerps are no match against our giant Arbok." Jessie said proudly. "It's in honor of my dear sweet Arbok that I had to part with oh so long ago."

"That's right!" James added. "We used the highest state of the art technology to build this mechanical Arbok. It knows all of the attacks that a real Arbok can learn. Show 'em, Meowth."

"With pleasure!" Meowth pushed another button. This time the Arbok shot out an acid attack. Everyone jumped back barely dodging the attack.

Gary glared at Team Rocket and sized up their machine. He reached for one of his Poke balls as he quickly tried to think what would be the best strategy. However, he was interrupted by Ash who had run ahead of him.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash demanded. Pikachu's cheeks flashed electric sparks.

Just then, Brock and Misty ran over to Ash to stop him.

"Ash, wait!" Brock exclaimed. "If you use one of Pikachu's electric attacks now, the three starters are going to get zapped too!"

Ash glared at Team Rocket and their machine as he clenched his fists. Pikachu's attacks were too risky right now and he had a feeling Team Rocket had this all planned out.

This time, Gary stepped in front of Ash. "Don't worry, Ash! I'll take care of those losers! Umbreon, use tackle and aim toward that window!" Gary figured if he could just break the window, maybe he could get them away from the controls of the machine.

Gary's Umbreon appeared with a flash of white light. It nodded and charged toward Team Rocket's machine. With a powerful leap, it rammed into the glass window. "Umbreon!" It caught sight of Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

"Um. Umbreon! Hey, guys! I'm here to get you out!" The glass barely cracked.

"Umbreon, use tackle again!" Gary demanded.

With a running leap, Umbreon tackled the window of the giant Arbok again. Charmander glanced over as he was in the mechanical arm's grasp. "Char! Char! You can do it, Umbreon!" Charmander said encouragingly.

Umbreon glanced at Charmander and listened to the fire type's encouraging words. With one more running leap and tackle attack, the window broke and Team Rocket was out in the open.

"Hey!" Jessie cried very annoyed.

"Yeah, what's the big idea?" James shouted.

Meowth scanned the machine's dashboard furiously. "I'll just activate the poison sting button here." Meowth pushed the button and the giant Arbok reared its head and spit out poison.

Gary stood a bit frustrated. This machine was obviously not a real Pokémon, but it knew all of the attacks of a real one. "Umbreon, quick! Dodge it!" He had to think of a different way.

Umbreon leapt to the side as the poison rained by.

Ash, Brock, and Misty were the most familiar with Team Rocket's machines. Gary had only run into them a handful of times, but he still knew how tricky they could be. He remembered that one time he helped Ash, Brock, and Misty stop one of Team Rocket's past machines – a giant Wobbuffet. That one had a giant extension cord. This machine didn't.

Gary had to think fast. He wanted to destroy the machine, but he didn't want to put the three starters at risk. He decided his Umbreon's shadow ball attack would be super effective in disabling the machine without hurting the starters.

"You twerps give up yet?" Jessie called out.

"That's what you think," said Gary. "Umbreon! Use shadow ball on the back of their machine!" With a rolling wisp, Umbreon threw out a rapidly moving shadow ball towards the back of the giant Arbok. Team Rocket jumped at the surprise attack and tumbled out of their machine.

Along with the tumble, Jessie unfortunately, dropped the bag that held the grass and water type. The bag landed in the grass, and out tumbled Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

The shadow ball had also knocked Charmander loose from the mechanical arm's grasp. "Char! Char! Charmander!" He ran toward Brock, Misty and Ember. Ember's eyes lit up as she hugged the little fire Pokémon.

"Charmander, you're okay!" Ember cheered.

Brock and Misty attended to the Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Brock checked on Bulbasaur while Misty checked on Squirtle.

"Everything looks just fine with Bulbasaur. Just a bit shaken up," noted Brock.

Misty patted Squirtle's head. "How are you doing, Squirtle? You gave us quite a scare."

Gary could see that Umbreon had just enough strength to pull off one more effective shadow ball. "Umbreon, use shadow ball one more time!"

The Team Rocket trio stood annoyed and infuriated. "Okay, that does it!" Jessie looked to her only Pokémon. "Wobbuffet, use counter!"

Wobbuffet stood front and center as his counter kicked in. Umbreon's shadow ball approached Wobbuffet. The counter wasn't bad at all but not very effective. Umbreon stumbled at the counter, quickly composed himself, and stood beside Gary unharmed.

This time, Gary looked rather smug at Team Rocket. "Anyone would know that psychic types are weak against dark types."

Jessie clenched her fists very annoyed at the spiky haired twerp. "Oh, who asked you? We don't have any Pokémon, so we have to make do with what we have!"

James and Meowth nodded in full agreement. "That's right!"

Ash had enough of Team Rocket! Now was his chance. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Pikachu's cheeks flashed sparks of lightning once more and this time, shot out powerful bolts of lightning. Team Rocket and their machine illuminated in lightning. There was a boom and a flash.

"Oh, no," James said.

"Guess we didn't get the whole Kanto starter package after all." Meowth sighed.

"Oh, why does it always have to end like this?" Jessie cried in frustration.

Team Rocket hurled into the sky.

"All I know is…" James replied to Jessie's frustration.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ember stared up at the sky her hands over her mouth in astonishment. She hadn't even gotten started on her Pokémon journey and already she's seen enough excitement for today.

Gary looked at his Umbreon. It had put up quite the fight to help rescue the starters. "Awesome job, Umbreon! You deserve a good rest."

"Um. Umbreon!" Umbreon gladly returned to its Poke ball.

Gary then glanced over at his old rival. Ash made a few careless and hasty decisions sometimes, but he still deserved good credit, especially now. "Thanks, Ash."

"Hey, don't mention it." Ash said. They turned toward the others.

Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander were finally back and all together. Everyone, especially Gary, was extremely happy and relieved to have them back safe. "Good to have you three back!"

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!"

"Squirtle! Squirtle Squirt!"

"Char! Charmander!"

All three of the Kanto starters stood side by side. By now, all three were back to their old selves. Bulbasaur and Squirtle stood bold and adventurous just as they did back at the Oak lab. Charmander still carried a shy personality, but after the Team Rocket incident, he seemed to realize just how brave he really could be. When Ember did what she could to protect him from Team Rocket, it was then that he knew that he really wanted her to be his trainer.

Gary looked over at Ember. "So, Ember, have you finally decided who your starter will be?"

This time, Ember was not hesitant or indecisive. This time, she knew for sure.

"I have decided that I choose Charmander!"

Gary smiled and nodded. "Charmander. Good choice."

Ash felt just as thrilled as Ember. "Aw, man! I remember when my Charizard was a Charmander." Ash was taken back to the time he, Brock, and Misty found an abandoned Charmander on a rock in the pouring rain and rescued it. Although it had been rebellious after evolving, it had since grown into a strong and loyal Charizard.

"So, what made you choose Charmander?" Misty asked curiously. Everyone waited wondering the same thing.

"Well, when I was reading the books back at the lab, all three types sounded great, but fire kind of stood out. After seeing how brave and loyal this little fire type could be, I just had to choose Charmander. Plus, he kind of reminds me of myself. Not too sure about adventure but still wants to do something." Ember turned to Charmander. "I think we'll make a great team, Charmander. What do you think?"

"Charmander! Char! Char!" Charmander couldn't believe it! He was a bit worried that his shy personality would be a turn off for the trainer coming to look at the three Kanto starters. Ember had looked past that. She had chosen him – the Kanto fire starter. Charmander was so happy.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle looked at Charmander. As much as they all wanted to start a new adventure with this new trainer, they were happy for their fire type friend. Squirtle was the most surprised. Sure, he had been a bit over confident in thinking Ember was going to pick him, but he was still glad Charmander got a caring trainer that had the potential to grow strong. Charmander caught their glance and nodded. It was hard to believe that he would be leaving his two Pokémon friends soon.

Gary couldn't help but to feel proud. The day didn't go as he expected it to. Not by a long shot. With the help of Ash, Brock, Misty, and the new trainer, Ember, all three starters were found safe. He did what he thought was best to help the new trainer choose a starter and in the end, Ember chose the most timid yet sweetest of the trio, Charmander. Now, it was time to head back to the Oak lab.

"Let's head back, guys. My grandpa is due to be back any time now." Gary insisted as he started walking ahead of the group. The rest of the gang followed. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander walked together with Charmander next to Ember.

As Ash walked with his friends, he realized that he would have the chance to say hello to Professor Oak today after all. He glanced over at Gary. He could only wonder if Gary would tell his grandpa about the mishap that went on today with the Kanto starters.


	10. Parting Ways

Everyone stepped back into the Oak lab. After all the trouble with Team Rocket, it was a relief to have Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander back.

"I can't wait to see Professor Oak! Aw, man! He's going to be so surprised." Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah, my grandpa should be back any time now." Gary noted as he walked over to the center table where the three Kanto starters were originally kept. He picked up a Poke ball with a flame symbol on it. He walked over to Ember. "Charmander's Poké ball. Better give this to you now."

Ember couldn't believe that soon she would be leaving to start her journey with Charmander. "How does it work?" She asked eagerly.

"Simple once you get the hang of it." He pressed the center button of the Poke ball. It doubled in size. "Just hold it in front of Charmander and he should return. Although, I have to say, some Pokémon don't like being confined to their Poké balls." He eyed Ash's Pikachu.

Ember nodded as Gary handed the Poke ball to her. "Try calling Charmander back."

"Okay." Ember felt confident. She pressed the center button. It shrunk back to its regular size. She pressed the button again. It doubled in size as it did previously. Ember was amazed at the mechanics alone.

Ember smiled and now had a look of determination. "Okay, Charmander are you ready?"

"Char! Char!" Charmander faced Ember ready. Its tail flame shone bright.

"Okay, Charmander, return!" She held the Poké ball in front of the fire starter. Immediately with a bright flash of light, he disappeared inside the Poké ball.

Ember looked the Poké ball over just as the front door opened. Everybody turned toward the door.

"Well hello, Ash… everyone." Professor Oak said in a surprised tone of voice as he walked inside. He set his brief case down on his desk. "Gary didn't tell me he was having visitors."

Ash laughed. "You see, Professor, he didn't know. Brock, Misty, and I just dropped by this afternoon hoping to run into you. We weren't expecting to run into Gary."

Professor Oak nodded and looked at his grandson. "So, Gary, how have things been for you? I see the new trainer has picked out her starter and a Charmander at that."

Now all eyes were on Gary. Would he tell his grandfather about the three Kanto starters escaping and how they were nearly stolen by Team Rocket?

Gary stood confident. "Everything went great, Grandpa. Ash, Brock, Misty and this new trainer, Ember, really helped me out a lot!"

Ash felt flustered. "Gee, Professor! Gary did most of the hard work. We just happened to be there to help out." Ash wasn't about to tell Professor Oak about the incident. He knew that was Gary's job.

Professor Oak put his hand on Gary's shoulder. He looked proud of his grandson. "Very good, Gary. I knew you could do it. Keep doing your very best and who knows? I think you have the potential to be a great Pokémon Professor someday. You've already proven to be an excellent researcher."

Gary nodded. "Thanks, Grandpa." He was thinking about telling his grandpa about the mishap that happened today. He felt bad about not telling his grandpa what really happened.

Just then, the front door opened and a guy between Ash's and Brock's age with shoulder length dark brown hair wrapped in a sweatband struggled to get in the door. He carried a few portfolios and a sketchpad. Professor Oak quickly opened the door. "Careful, Tracy."

"Oh wow! Ash, Brock, and Misty! I didn't know you guys were going to be here!" Tracy was ecstatic. He set the portfolios on Professor Oak's desk.

Ash gasped. He didn't expect to run into another old friend. "Hey, Tracy! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Yeah, it's been a while. How have you been? How long are you back here for?" Tracy had a million questions for Ash and just as many for Brock and Misty.

"I've been great! I'm back here all week until I go on my next adventure." Ash turned to Ember. "Hey Ember, this is Tracy Sketchit. He's Professor Oak's lab assistant."

"Well, I do my best." Tracy said humbly.

"My name's Ember. I so can't wait to go on my Pokémon journey with my Charmander."

"Hey, that's great!" Tracy said. "Good luck!"

"So how was the meeting with the Professors from Johto and Hoenn?" Gary asked. "I bet there were a lot of great findings!"

"There most definitely was," Professor Oak said. "Professor Birch gave a rather interesting report on his studies of Sableye and their habitat inside caves. Since they live in secluded areas, not too much is known about them."

"I know! Your report on Gloom and its two branches of evolution was spot on, Professor." Tracy said. "I really liked how we were able to observe some of the Pokémon they had there. I was hoping I would get an opportunity to sketch some Pokémon. I brought my sketchpad just in case!"

Ash, Brock and Misty laughed. Why should they be surprised? This was Tracy.

Ember looked a bit confused.

"Tracy really likes to do sketches of all different kinds of Pokémon." Brock explained to Ember. "He'll never let a chance pass him by if he can help it."

Tracy laughed nervously. "Well, I guess you can put it that way."

"Hey Ember!" Ash exclaimed. "Call Charmander out now."

"Okay…" She looked at the Poke ball trying to figure out how to get Charmander to come back out.

Gary stepped forward. "Like this, Ember." He pulled out one of his own Poke balls, held it out at arm's length, pressed the button until it expanded, and with a flick of a wrist, said, "Come on out, Arcanine!"

With a flash of white light, a large fluffy orange and brown canine like Pokémon appeared.

"A fire type!" Ember breathed. "That Pokémon was in the fire type book I looked at today. It's the evolved form of Growlithe." Ember was surprised that she had remembered that from the fire type book.

"See, what did I tell ya. You can never have enough information on Pokémon." Gary said.

Ember followed the exact same steps that Gary demonstrated. "Come on out, Charmander!" There was a flash of white light and there stood Charmander. Ember was delighted.

"Hey, that's a good pose of Charmander!" Tracy said enthusiastically. "Don't move Charmander. Let me get my sketch book and draw a picture."

"Umm…" Ember said.

As Tracy drew Charmander's picture, Ash turned to Ember. "So guess you and Charmander are raring to go on your journey now, huh?"

Ember took a deep breath. "Yes. Charmander and I will continue to learn and hopefully grow strong."

Misty smiled. "You and Charmander are going to make a great team."

"Yeah," Brock said. "Looks like you made the right choice."

Tracy set the pencil down and carefully tore off the page. "Here, this for you. It's a drawing of Charmander." He handed the sketch of Charmander to Ember. The drawing was very detailed to Ember's surprise.

"Oh wow! This is great!" Ember exclaimed. "I'll keep this in a safe spot." She carefully rolled it up and gently placed it in her backpack.

Ember smiled at Charmander."Well, Charmander, would you like to say goodbye to Bulbasaur and Squirtle?"

"Char! Char!" Charmander headed right over to his two best Pokémon friends. Sometimes they teased him for being the more cautious one and sometimes Charmander thought they could be a bit mischievous to hang around. Despite this, they had developed a strong bond from being together at the Oak lab. All three starters knew that they would eventually be separated but now it really sunk in as one of them was actually leaving now. Charmander was going to miss his two Pokémon friends. He hoped they would be chosen by equally caring trainers as he was.

Bulbasaur gently drew his vine whip and placed it on Charmander's shoulder. "Bulba. Bulbasaur," He said softly. "Good bye, friend. I'm going to miss you. Good luck on your journey with your new trainer."

Charmander nodded. He turned to Squirtle. "Char. Bye, Squirtle."

"Squirtle. Squirtle squirt. Goodbye. I wish you didn't have to go." His voice sounded sad.

"I can tell they've really developed quite a friendship amongst each other. I can't help to wonder what they're saying though." Professor Oak pondered.

"That Charmander has really come a long way." Gary noted. "He was really shy at first and I couldn't get him to open up no matter what I did."

"Well, sometimes Pokémon are a bit like people. They all have different personalities and it just takes a bit of time for them to come out of their shell." Professor Oak said.

Ember knelt in front of Bulbasaur and Squirtle. She smiled at them. "Bulbasaur. Squirtle. You two seem like very sweet Pokémon just full of adventure. The right trainer for each of you will come by. Just you wait!"

Bulbasaur and Squirtle nuzzled their heads in Embers hands. They understood and felt reassured. Everyone in the room smiled and was hit by a bit of emotion.

"So Ember? Do you think you'll be a fire type trainer like I'm a water type trainer?" Misty asked curiously.

Ember thought. She asked that same question to herself. "I'm not sure yet. I guess I could be."

"Well, Ember. Your journey is just beginning. A lot of beginner trainers don't know what they want to do until much further in their journey." Professor Oak reassured.

"When I first started out I wanted to be a Pokémon master. Then later, I decided to become a Pokémon researcher instead." Gary added. "I'm interested in researching fossil Pokémon. Professor Rowan from the Sinnoh region has me studying the interaction between water and grass types at the moment though."

"Yeah, and I planned on becoming a Pokémon breeder, but now I'm studying to become a Pokémon doctor." Brock chimed in.

Ember nodded. Now, she was feeling sad she would be leaving her new friends especially after just meeting them.

"Gary, have you given Ember her Pokedex yet?" Professor Oak asked.

"I'll do that right now." He went over to the desk where Professor Oak laid the Pokedexes.

"This is a Pokedex," Gary explained waving the device in the air. It's like a mini encyclopedia for Pokémon. Check it out." He held the Pokedex in front of Pikachu.

"Pikachu – the mouse Pokémon – the evolved form of Pichu." It said. "Pikachu stores electricity inside its cheeks. The species can be found in places with high levels of electricity such as power plants."

"Amazing!" Ember took the Pokedex. She held it in front of Charmander.

"Charmander, the lizard Pokémon." It said. "Its tail flame burns depending on its emotions. The more enraged Charmander is, the more the flame burns."

"This Pokedex knows all of the Pokémon that are in the Kanto region. Of course there could be a chance the Pokedex might not recognize a certain Pokémon. That just means it hasn't been discovered yet."

Professor Oak stood to the side as he let Gary do all the explaining. He was impressed at how well his grandson was explaining things to the beginner trainer.

Professor Oak nodded. "Very good." He then walked over to his desk and pulled out five other Poké balls. "Each trainer is allowed to carry up to six Pokémon including their starter. After you catch six Pokémon, any future Pokémon that you catch will automatically be transferred here. Of course, if you want to trade a Pokémon that is already on your team with one you have here at the lab, you can do so at any Pokémon center."

"Make sure you weaken a Pokémon by battling it before catching it. And speaking of battling, maybe as your training Pokemon, try rotating them and they'll really be strong in battle. Just speaking from experience," Gary said.

"Hey don't forget!" Ash said. "Forming a bond with your Pokemon is just as important. Remember friendship is key."

Usually, Gary would have easily thought of a good reason why his method of training Pokemon was better. By now though, he understood Ash's belief in developing bonds with one's Pokemon. It just took him a while to realize that. He thought about his Umbreon. They had a really good bond.

Ember took the Poké balls from Professor Oak and fastened them on her belt. Now she really felt like a Pokémon trainer!

Ash felt his stomach rumble which reminded him that he hadn't eaten since early that afternoon. Now it was going on five o clock. "I just remembered I haven't eaten anything since lunch time. I could eat something."

Misty laughed. "Well, that's no surprise."

Brock laughed in agreement. "Hey, I know. Let's stop by that ice cream parlor they have here in Pallet town and get some ice cream."

Ash's eyes lit up. "All right! Count me in!"

Misty agreed. "Sounds good to me. I could eat some ice cream."

Ash then turned to the Ember. "Want to hang out with us for a little bit and get some ice cream. The Pallet town ice cream parlor is really good."

Ember shrugged. She'd have a chance to hang out with her new friends some more and besides, how could she pass up ice cream? "Okay, I could eat some ice cream too."

"What about you Tracy?" Ash asked.

"Gee , Ash. I'd love to but I think Professor Oak would want me to stay and help –"

"No, go ahead Tracy." Professor Oak smiled. "After a busy and exciting day today, you deserve to take a break. Go ahead and have fun. And later when you come back, you can work on making me some flyers about my presentation on ice types."

Tracy's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Professor! I will."

Finally, Ash turned to Gary. "How about you, Gary? Want to come with us and have some ice cream?"

Gary felt very appreciative of Ash's offer but he felt that he should stay. "Thanks, Ash, but I have to finish up some things here and run over some things about the lab with Professor Oak before I go back to Sinnoh tomorrow afternoon. It was great running into you and everyone."

Ash nodded. He understood. Gary had always taken his own path. He also had a feeling that Gary meant that he was going to tell his grandfather about what happened with the starters today.

"Sure thing, Gary," Ash said. He shook his former rival's hand. "I'm sure we'll run into each other again, sometime."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Gary replied.

"Drop by anytime before you start your next journey, Ash," said Professor Oak." I'd love to hear about your latest adventures."

"Oh, I will, Professor!" Ash exclaimed.

Ember turned to Gary. "Thanks for helping me pick out a starter. When I first came here, I was clueless on which Pokémon I wanted. Those books were helpful and I learned quite a bit about fire types. I even learned some things about water and grass types too."

Gary smiled and extended his hand out for a handshake. "Hey, no problem at all! Glad to help. It was nice meeting you, Ember. Best of luck to you and your Charmander."

Ember shook his hand. "Thanks, Gary. I can't wait to train Charmander."

Ember held out Charmander's Poké ball toward Charmander. "Okay Charmander, let's roll!" With a flash of light, Charmander returned to his Poké ball. Ember smiled. She was getting the hang of this. She followed along with Ash, Brock, Misty, and Tracy as they each waved good-bye.

"Later," Gary said with a wave.

Ash Ketchum was full of excitement. What a day it had been! It sure wasn't how he planned on spending his first day back. Still, he was glad to be able to help an old friend out and that everyone and all Pokémon were safe As Ash stepped outside in the late afternoon sun, he could faintly hear Gary Oak's voice. He could only catch a few words before he was out of earshot. "Grandpa, today – the starters - there's something I have to tell you…"

Ash paused for a second. He knew exactly what Gary was talking about. That Gary! He could be so full of himself sometimes, but despite that, Ash really valued their friendship. He picked up his pace to catch up with the others. He was going to make the most out of his trip back in good old Pallet town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that completes my story – Kanto Starter Dilemma. I really enjoyed writing this story. I am so glad I was able to include my top favorite characters in the story. I tried my best to keep everyone in character.
> 
> I enjoyed writing the parts that Team Rocket was in. They are probably one of my favorite characters to write about. 
> 
> The battle scene with Team Rocket was the hardest to write. It could have gone so many ways. Even though it was Gary's responsibility to watch the Pokémon at his grandfather's lab, I really didn't want to give him all of the credit. Neither did I want to give the credit to just Ash or anyone else.
> 
> Also, I originally didn't plan on including Tracy Sketchit. After remembering that I had him going to the meeting with Professor Oak, it would make sense that he would be there to see Ash and his friends.
> 
> For all readers and followers, I hope you enjoyed!


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